We seek to understand and document all radio transmissions, legal and otherwise, as part of the radio listening hobby. We do not encourage any radio operations contrary to regulations. Always consult with the appropriate authorities if you have questions concerning what is permissible in your locale.

Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - ThaDood

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [8] 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 ... 82
107
It's here!!! That heatwave from Texas has, and still is, heading east. (Yuk...) However, could make for some nice Tropo for VHF / UHF. So, happy DX'ing!!!

109
General Radio Discussion / Re: AM STEREO ? When possible.
« on: June 26, 2023, 1840 UTC »
When time allows, I've simulcasted my Part 15 stations' programming to the Sean Cuthbert C-QUAM AM Stereo transmitter. https://radiojayallen.com/cuthbert-am-stereo-c-quam-transmitter/   I want to change mine over to a different, metal, case. And, I've modified a Sony SRF-42 AMAX Walkman to be an AM / FM Stereo VU OTA Monitor. https://www.minds.com/group/876322093051867136/feed     (Scroll wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy down when the page finally loads-up.) I'm set-up in my audio chain for 2 Channel audio, where the only MONO sections are the AM transmitters. So someday, I hope to be AM Stereo full time.

110
Amateur Radio / Re: Field Day 2023? Did it from home.
« on: June 25, 2023, 1935 UTC »
I didn't get on the bands until midnight. Waited for an early evening storm to pass, before we fired-up the grill for BBQ chicken. 75M was rough, with lightning crashes tearing that up, even with Attenuators. Also, rough on 40M, and could still hear crackles on 20M and even 15M. 10M and 6M, dead... Still, any station that I heard on attenuated S-Units strength I was able to nab on 1st tries with 65W. 40M seemed harder to do so, with station getting lots of pile-ups. I even worked the local club, at the new location set-up, from Liberty, WV on 7270kHz. Worked a few West Coast and "5"-land stations on 20M. And, heard no one on 15M, but still lightning crackles there. (Huh...) Worked that, until 3AM, here. When I got-up, there was a weak 10M "E" opening to Arkansas, but was only able to work a couple of stations there, until it seemed to take a dump at noon, here. Heard something quick on 50.200MHz, but no repeat. Someone tuning up??? Hey... That's the contester's Murphy's Law, the propagation sucks, until after the contest.
         Anyway, this tells me that at modest 'barefoot' power that I can still get-out and work 'em. So, a nice gauge. And, I'm working on a battery powered system to work the power sipper Xiegu G90 rig. The power sippers that I have for VHF / UHF are HT's to outdoor antennas. You can do a lot with 5W.

111
Amateur Radio / Field Day 2023!
« on: June 22, 2023, 1850 UTC »

Tis that time of year, already. The HF / VHF / UHF, and even microwave, HAM bands will be going absolutely nuts. https://www.arrl.org/field-day   Of course, if you want to get away from that, there's the WARC bands, 60M, and 2M National Simplex. Me??? I like to use the contest as a gauge to see how well my station gets out there, or doesn't.
(There... I've put the subject in the right category. Oooops...)

112
Huh? / 5G Repeller? I don't think so...
« on: June 21, 2023, 1800 UTC »
Oh boy... JG Tiger asked me about this,   https://5grepeller.com/     So, here's what I've written back to him:

"I really have doubts about how that would work. You don't want to repel 5G microwave signal, you want to attenuate it, a.k.a. make it much weaker, so it could be useful, by not have you bathing in RF. Above 1GHz, just about anything does attenuate that,
 windows, (Especially with tinted lead in it.), our aluminum-sided house, tree foliage, concrete, thick wood, etc. True, that these surfaces also bounce the signal, but every reflected signal will be attenuated to a degree. Now, are they trying to emit RF to cancel RF? That means, using a fire to fight a fire, which you don't want to be next to. Want to get away from intense 5G RF? Go into the deep woods, keep your windows rolled-up in the vehicle, go into a building, go underground in a cave, or go underwater. Attenuate RF, not some gizmo that claims to fight it. WTF?!?!? Don't believe the hype, but I'm open to what actual Field Strength Test Reports would show, if any. Demand that from that site!"

OK... So, let me be open enough to ask, is there anything to this, or a bunch of BS for the ignorant to suck-up? If anything, thought this to be a neat lesson to put out there. (Meaning, I did not post this here to bonk anyone, or to play on their intelligence, but to use the subject for an educational purpose.)
There, my C.Y.O.A...

113
Damn... I've dealt with them for over 33 years. And, up until this year, they've sent out printed catalogs. Yes, you still have Mouser and Digikey, but I've really never liked dealing with them that much.

114
And then, SWL'ing put these RW articles together:   https://swling.com/blog/2023/06/radio-waves-my-fathers-radio-am-listenership-by-state-and-longevity-of-am-in-cars/  Keep talkin' about it!

115
10/11 meters / Re: FM in the USA? Ooops....
« on: June 16, 2023, 2016 UTC »
Whoops.... I stand corrected. I haven't been monitoring up in the Outband Channels in quite a while, and none of my 40CH CB's are modified to go up there. So, I have to rely on an HF rig to monitor up there. Anyway, THANKS!!!!

116
Sporadic "E" started on 11M at around 00:00UTC, last night, from WI, then IL, then OK, AR, TX, then finally LA, just before 03:00UTC. (Interesting North to South "E" tracking.) SSB CH38LSB was just bonkers. Very little 10M activity. However, scanning through the Outband area, around 02:15UTC, I ran into a round-table talk of four locals, (Presumably from "5"-land.), using NBFM. Only one station giving a decent signal, while everyone else MAX'ed-out to maybe a couple of "S" units. The YL in there was pretty subtle on the mic, and pretty much mainly in the noise level. Still, interesting to monitor NBFM on Outband CH65. Kind of wish now that I checked on 6M.

117
Uh-huh... Love 'em, or just hate them, the Compact Cassette hits 60 years ago this September 2023. And, surprise, they are still made in Missouri by NAC.  https://www.nationalaudiocompany.com/    Looks like you could order just replacement cassette cartridge shells and the hinged cases. Albeit, I'm a little tempted to try and test their CrO2 formula. This link has a VID on NAC,  https://www.wsj.com/articles/cassettes-are-making-a-comeback-but-there-s-a-kink-nobody-makes-tape-1509723435
A lot of cassette gear is still restorable.

118
WOW!!! Their 41W was just in there on the truck stereo, and on the WOG on the Xiegu SDR at S10/9. I like that they do tunage, mainly classic pop from 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, Y2K's, and even heard that newer 'I Made You Look' tune, whomever sings that. An ESPN Sports station tries to bowl them over, but WHLN stays in there. Sound quality isn't that wide, and I had 'em on the WOG and the Xiegu SDR rig. Maybe peaking at 70% MOD and not a wide bandwidth. Still, I welcome them jammin' out.

https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=whln&nav=home

119
https://www.onallbands.com/hf-summertime-propagationwith-propagation-advice-for-field-day/       FWR from K8RRT. Not bad INFO, but could have expanded to VHF / UHF propagation, like Tropo and Ducting, that happens more this time of year. Case in point, this weekend is the June VHF / UHF ARRL Sweepsteaks. https://contests.arrl.org/junvhf/  Huh... Not much INFO there.

Additional 6/6/2023: While I'm at it, here's what I've added my $0.02 on Rover Operations, to a local group where I am.

" I did Rover VHF / UHF last, and solo, in 2006. A co-worker of mine, WB2GGM, had shown me his multi-band mobile set-up, with the Yaesu FT-857D. So, I bought one, and in time for the June 2006 VHF / UHF Sweepsteaks. The FT-857D was my SSB / FM rig for 2m, 2M, and 432MHz. A separate Kenwood TM-3530A was the 222MHz FM rig. And, I went from the corners of four Grid Squares, FN-11, FN-12, FN-01, and FN-02. The only group that I was able to work on all four grids was the Johnstown, PA VHF Group, on 6M and 2M SSB. Caught no one on 222MHz and 432MHz. Then again, I was using VERT OMNI antennas. It was a neat +7hrs drive and work, but the area was very rural, being Buffalo NW +75 miles, Rochester +80 miles, Erie 100 miles, Elmira / Corning / Ithaca +70 miles, and Pittsburgh +110 miles. However, the Johnstown Group kept their beams pointed my way, and even did a nice chit-chat with the group after 03:00UTC on 6M SSB afterwards from my then tower site in FN-12. If I had to do it again, I'd have someone else do the driving, and do it with a vehicle that wasn't manual transmission as well. (Hi-hi...) Other times, I was stationary with the CARA VHF Group, from Corning, NY Quackinbush Hill, or with the then N2HLT VHF Group, in the 1990's.   73!!!!"

Then, I added:

"However, if you don't have CW / SSB capabilities above the 50MHz FREQ's, there's always simplex FM FREQ's to check-out. However, it's still advisable to avoid using 146.520MHz National 2M Simplex, but all other are pretty much game, like 52.525MHz, 146.550MHz, 223.500MHz, 446.000MHz, 903.500MHz, 1294.500MHz, and above these." Who knows what you may hear.

120
Huh? / Experimental HF Radio, Part 5, news ripped from SWL'ing?
« on: May 18, 2023, 1815 UTC »
https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/search/search-filings/filing/1042840187330 I jumped the gun on that as 'Part 15', but even Part 5 is interesting to check-out.  https://swling.com/blog/2023/05/shortwave-modernization-petition/

UPDATE: Just edited-out what was just posted hear earlier. Oooops....

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [8] 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 ... 82
HFUnderground T-Shirt
HFUnderground Garden Flag
by MitchellTimeDesigns